Pixies @ The Rave, June 12
Friday, June 12
Polish Fest @ Summerfest Grounds
It took forever to arrive, but summer festival season is now in full swing. This weekend Polish Fest keeps that barrel rolling with three days of polka, dancing, fireworks, pierogi, pageants and vodka tastings. Feeling guilty about enjoying a few too many beers? You can cleanse your guilt on Sunday morning, when the day’s festivities kick off with a large Catholic mass. (Through Sunday, June 14.)
Pixies w/ Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear @ The Rave, 8 p.m.
Here’s an odd thought: The Pixies have now been reunited for longer than they were originally together. The last few years have seen some changes for the legendary indie-rock band, though. Bassist Kim Deal left the band in 2013, just as they prepared to release new material, a trio of EPs they later packaged into a 2014 full-length album called Indie Cindy. Perhaps it shouldn’t be too surprising that the new music was received with cold reviews; there was no way any new music from the band could live up to enigmatic albums like Surfer Rosa or Doolittle, flawless LPs that helped lay the groundwork for an entire generation of alternative and indie bands. Nonetheless, the album succeeds at what it set out to do: It’s the work of a band returning to the sound they created and enjoying themselves in the process. It may not be a classic, but after all these years, it’s reassuring that the Pixies still sound like the Pixies.
Hart Fest @ Hart Park, Wauwatosa
At Wauwatosa’s Hart Fest in Hart Park, you’ll find the usual food, refreshments and music you’d find at any worthwhile outdoor festival, and a little something extra: dogs and games. The two-day event features volleyball, wiffle ball, kickball and bags, and Saturday’s festival takes place in conjunction with Fido Fest, a celebration of all things canine featuring a doggy splash zone, a speedway, lure courses, Tosa K9 unit demos and a doggy caricaturist. (Also Saturday, June 13.)
|
|
Saturday, June 13
Barenaked Ladies w/ Violent Femmes and Colin Hay @ BMO Harris Pavilion, 7:30 p.m.
Summerfest is still a week and a half away, but music fans won’t have to wait until then to see a concert at the grounds. Three veteran alternative acts will share this outdoor bill at the festival grounds’ BMO Harris Pavilion. The Barenaked Ladies have been carrying on strong since splitting with founding member Steven Page in 2009—of course, it helps that their hits “One Week” and “It’s All Been Done” still receive regular radio play, and that their theme song for “The Big Bang Theory” is played dozens of times a day on television. Joining the group for their Last Summer on Earth tour is a band near and dear to Milwaukee’s heart, Violent Femmes, who this month released a solid EP of new songs—their first in 15 years—and former Men at Work singer Colin Hay, who has spent the last three decades as a solo artist.
The Hullmen w/ Midwives @ Circle-A Café, 8 p.m.
The Hullmen cut to the chase. Made up of players who have done time in Milwaukee bands including Aluminumknoteye, The Mighty Deerlick and The Squish, the trio specializes in rock ’n’ roll in its purest, most direct form—a riff-heavy, punk-inspired sound with shades of The Stooges, The Stones and New York Dolls. For this show they’ll celebrate the release of their latest EP (their fifth in about as many years), Expensive Taste. It’s 20 minutes or so of infectious riffs with just the right amount of sleaze, engineered and mixed by regional punk hero Martin Defatte.
Filth Fest @ Cocoon Room, noon
More than a dozen punk bands from around the Midwest will come together for the third annual Filth Fest, which bills itself as “Milwaukee’s queer punk fest.” In addition to music from bands including Pansy, Immaculate Misconception, Winterbourne and Falter, the day will also feature workshops, educational speakers, leadership activities and vegan burritos. Proceeds go to Project Q, a sage space for Milwaukee’s LGBT youth, and the day will end with a DJed dance party.
Imagine Dragons w/ Metric and Halsey @ BMO Harris Bradley Center, 7:30 p.m.
For many Milwaukeeans, Imagine Dragons will always be remembered for their infamous Summerfest show in 2013, which they played shortly after their massive breakout hit “Radioactive” had become one of that year’s biggest radio singles. The band’s explosive popularity helped account for the festival’s unprecented bottleneck that night. Since then, their popularity has only continued to balloon, and so has their stage show, which now features bigger, more grandiose light displays than ever before. The group returns to Milwaukee in support of their latest album, Smoke + Mirrors, which arrived in February and features the bombastic single “I Bet My Life.”
Sunday, June 14
Locust Street Festival @ Locust Street, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
“No dogs, no carry-ins, no drama” is the mantra at the Locust Street Festival, but beyond that, pretty much anything goes. The street party is one of the city’s largest, celebrating not only arts and music but the culture and character that make Riverwest the creative center of Milwaukee. Expect to find more than 100 arts and craft vendors, clowns, balloons, puppets, a drum circle and the usual food and drink. And as always, the festival’s local music lineup remains unrivaled: This year’s includes The Fatty Acids, Surgeons in Heat, Soul Low, Sam Llanas, R.A.S. (Royal Ancient Society) Movement, Ladders, God’s Outlaw, Platinum Boys and dozens of others. As always, the day kicks off with a 1.8-mile Beer Run/Walk.
Olivia Chaney @ Colectivo Coffee, 2211 N. Prospect Ave., 7:30 p.m.
The team at The Pabst Theater Group has a knack for finding unique or underused spaces around the city and turning them into concert venues, if sometimes only temporary ones. They’ve done it again: Their latest adopted concert space is the back room of Prospect Avenue’s beautiful Colectivo Coffee location, which will host a performance from singer-songwriter Olivia Chaney. This year Chaney released her acclaimed debut album, The Longest River, a collection of lonesome folk that recalls Joni Mitchell at her most vulnerable. Each of her songs exudes a tremendous sense of grace and history, and Colectivo’s intimate back room should be the perfect place to experience them.
Chasing Dreams: Baseball & Becoming American @ Jewish Museum Milwaukee
Though there have only been a relative handful of Jewish baseball stars, that doesn’t mean Jews haven’t had an impact on this most American of all sports. The Jewish Museum Milwaukee’s latest exhibit, “Chasing Dreams: Baseball & Becoming American,” explores why so many immigrants and minority communities embraced baseball, and how they use the sport to express their values and identities. The exhibit, on display through Sept. 7, will also feature a signed base plate from Robin Yount’s unforgettable 3,000th hit at County Stadium.
Garlic Fest @ Braise, noon-4 p.m.
Maybe one day Milwaukee’s Garlic Fest will grow into an international attraction, moving to the Summerfest grounds and drawing tens of thousands each year as it swells into a three- or maybe even four-day event. But that probably won’t happen, and we prefer it just as it is: a low-key afternoon street party that appeals to families and foodies alike. Each year restaurants from around Walker’s Point contribute their most garlicky dishes to this festival held outside of Braise. The event also features a variety of garlic-themed kids games, crafts, live music and specialty drinks from Wisconsin distillers, as well as the ultimate refreshment: green garlic Bloody Marys, a drink so tasty you won’t even mind that you left your breath mints at home.
